Bedrail and slat lock



Jan. 13, 1953 RUBINSTEIN BEDRAIL AND SLAT LOCK Filed Oct. 7, 1949 IN V EN T 0R. Lou: 5 Rue/ VS TEIN FIG.5

A TTOFNEY Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE BEDRAIL AND SLAT LOCK Louis Rubinstein, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application October 7, 1949, Serial No. 120,019

'7 Claims.

This invention relates, as indicated, to a bed rail and slat lock.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is effective to bring the side rails of a bed into perpendcularity with the headboard and footboard of a bed, and to correct distortion of misalignment of these parts of the bed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described, which can be quickly installed, without defacing or in any way marring portions of the bed, such as the side rails, cleats or corner posts, and which can be easily removed for cleaning purposes, or for dismantling of the bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described, which also functions as a support or partial support for the bed spring.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described, which can be manufactured in commercially desirable quantities at relatively low cost.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bracket which is particularly adapted for use in making the aforesaid bed rail and slat locks.

other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, showing the manner in which the bed rail and slat lock is used;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the brackets forming a part of the bed rail and slat lock;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, showing one end of the bed rail and slat lock, in association with parts of a bed.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5- is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the bracket which forms an essential part of the invention is in the form of a sheet metal stamping having a vertical body portion I, provided with a rectangular opening 2, and a horizontal base portion or flange 3, which extends at a right angle to the body portion I, and has acentral rectangular depressed portion 4, which lies in a plane parallel with the flange 3. The juncture of the depressed portion 4 with the flange 3 is defined by rounded shoulders 5. A portion of the flange 3 is cut away to provide a rectangular opening 6, which is at right angles to the opening 2. It will be noted that the entire upper surface of the rectangular depressed portion 4 of the bracket lies below the plane of the lower surface of the flange 3.

The body portion l of the bracket is provided with three spaced bayonet slots or openings 1, which serve a purpose to be presently described.

The depressed portions 4 of the bracket is provided with an extension or tongue 8, which extends forwardly from the central portion of the portion 4 and is coplanar with the latter. It is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced openings 9, the centers of which are on a line which extends at right angles to the plane of the body portion or back I of the bracket. The function of the openings 9 wil be presently described.

In order to form the bed rail and slat lock of the present invention, it is necesary to provide at least two of the brackets, as described, and one bed slat, which may be one of the bed slats which is conventionally used to support the bed spring. Such a slot is approximately 2 inches wide, about of an inch thick, and of a length equal to the distance between the inner surfaces H) of the spaced bed rails I l of the bed. The end surfaces l2 of the slat should lie in a plane perpendicular to the bottom, top and sides of the slat, that is to say, the end surfaces I2 should be square with the other surfaces of the slat.

For the purposes of installing the bed rail and slat lock, the bed slat is screwed to the brackets, as by means of screws I3, which are inserted through the openings 9 in the tongues 8 of the brackets, the screws being screwed into the bottom of the slat. In thus securing the brackets to the slat, it is essential that the end surfaces l2 of the slat be flush with the rear surfaces of the back portions I of the brackets. This insures that the longitudinal axis of the slat will be perpendicular to the planes of the rear surfaces of the back portions I of the brackets. The ends of the slat, after being secured to the brackets, lie fiat on the depressed portions 4 of the brackets, the only consideration in this regard being that the width of the slat be less than the distance between the shoulders 5.

The bed rail and slat lock thus formed is then placed transversely of the bed, at approximately the longitudinal center of the bed, as in Fig. 1, with the ends of the slat resting on the slatsupporting cleats I4, which are conventionally secured to the inner surfaces of the bed rails ll, adjacent the lower edges of the latter. After the bed rail and slat lock has been thus positioned, screws 15 are inserted through the upper ends of the bayonet slots 1 and screwed into the bed rails II, and tightened.

As the screws I5 are tightened, the inner surfaces of the bed rails are brought into contact with the end surfaces [2 of the slot, and since these end surfaces [2 are perpendicular to the bottom, top and sides of the slat, insurance is had that the bed rails will be brought into planes perpendicular to the planes of the headboard and footboard of the bed, thereby rectifying any distortion or misalignment which may have previously existed betwen the bed rails and headboard and footboard. This eliminates the need for wires, turnbuckles, and other complicated and expensive devices which have heretofore been used to square the bed rails with the headboard and sideboard, and which required damaging or defacing the corner posts and other parts of the bed.

With the bed rail and slat rock thus positioned, the slat may be used to support the bed spring, in the conventional manner, and other slats, in parallel spaced relation thereto, may be used to support the spring, although it is not necessary to lock the other slats to the bed rails, since they can be supported on the cleats M in the conventional manner, the single central bed rail and slat lock being sufficient to lock the bed rails against movement relatively to each other.

The bed rail and slot lock is effective to securely lock the bed rails in paralel fixed relation to each other, and eliminates any danger or hazard of the spring-supporting slats being displaced or turned or falling out as a result of spreading of the bed rails relatively to each other. 'The bed railand slat lock prevents the side rails from warping and keeps the slats from falling with the spring and mattress, eliminates insecure and shaky beds, and keeps the bed in alignment."

Ariimportant feature of the invention lies in the'fact thatthe ends of the slat lie directly upon the cleats H, so that the slat is directly supported'by'the cleats'in'stead of by the brackets. This is due to the provision of the openings 2 and'fi in the brackets, as well as the fact that the upper surfaces of the depressed portions 4 of the brackets are flush with the upper surfaces of the cleats. Since the brackets thus have no slat-supporting function, there is no danger of the screws l5 being loosened or pulled out of the bed rails, due to the weight of the spring.

It will also be noted that the brackets are of such construction as to eliminate the need for providing recesses in the cleats M to receive the ends of the slat. This greatly reduces installation costs. Moreover, due to the absence of gusset-like flanges or webs connecting the portions l and 3 of the brackets, there is no obstruction to the spring when laid on the slats, so that the spring can be laid on the slats in the conventional manner. Since the tongues 8 of the brackets are below the upper surfaces of the cleatsv H, the slat of the device is no higher above said cleat surfaces than it would normally be. This prevents rocking of the bed spring about the slat. which might result from use of a slat which is abnormally above said cleat surfaces.

In order to remove the bed rail and slat rock, it is only necessary to turn the screws l5 back a few threads and to then lift the brackets sufficiently to bring the enlarged portions of the bayonet slots 1 into axial alignment with the heads of the screws, after which the bed rails can be separated sufficiently to enable the screw heads to pass out of the slots and the bed rail and slat lock removed from the bed rails. This easy removability is an important feature, and greatly facilitates spring cleaning of the bed.

It is thus seen that I have provided a bed rail and slat lock which is highly effective for its intended purposes, which can be easily and quickly installed or removed, and which can be manufactured in commercially desirable quantities at relatively low cost.

It is to be understod that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 15,059, filed March 16, 1948, and now abandoned.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a bed construction of the character comprising a pair of spaced bed rails having slat-supporting cleats extending longitudinally thereof and a bed slat extending perpendicularly to said rails and having end surfaces perpendicular to the bottom, top and sides of the slat and in contiguity with the inner surfaces of said rails with the ends of said slat resting on the upper surfaces of the slatsupporting cleats, of a bed rail and slat lock comprising means for removably securing the ends of said slat to said rails, said means comprising brackets removably secured to said slat and having vertical body portions engaging the inner surfaces of said rails and extending vertically to points above the plane of the upper surface of the slat and screws securing the vertical body portions of said brackets to said rails, said brackets having depressed horizontal portions underlying the ends of said slat, the upper surfaces of said depressed portions being coplanar with the upper surfaces of said cleats.

2. The structure, as defined in claim 1, in which said vertical body portions have rectangular openings through which the ends of said slat extend.

3. The structure, as defined in claim l, in which said brackets have horizontal flanges, portions of which are removed to permit the ends of the slat to lie directly on the upper surfaces of said cleats.

4. The structure, as defined in claim 1, in which the vertical body portions of the brackets have bayonet slots, and screws extend through the reduced ends of said ,bayonetslots into said rails.

5. The structure, as defined in claim 1, in which said brackets have horizontal fianges, portions of which are disposed adjacent the sides of the slat but do not extend above the plane of the upper surface of the slat, and portions of which intermediate said first-named portions are depressed so as to underlie the ends of said slat.

6. A bracket forholding a bed slat on a side rail, said bracket comprising a vertical body portion and. a horizontal flange portion, said horizontal flange portion having a depressed central portion, the upper surface of which lies in a plane parallel with, but below, the remainder of said flange, said vertical body portion having a rectangular opening therein adapted to receive the end of a bed slat and said flange having a rectangular opening therein extending to the inner edge of said depressed portion and communicating with said first-named opening, said depressed portion being provided with a tongue extending forwardly from the center thereof, and coplanar therewith, said tongue having spaced openings.

7. A bracket, as defined in claim 6, in which the vertical body portion of the bracket is provided with spaced bayonet slots.

LOUIS RUBINSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

